➢ 002 | VIDEO

[looksfine]

[It has been a very interesting two months for Aya thus far. The young not-so-Artificial Intelligence has already learned so much. About Keelai. About the multiverse. About her fellow Foreign "visitors" and, perhaps most importantly, about herself. And how little she actually knows about herself, and the circumstances surrounding her apparent unique creation.]

[Which is what brings her to the Network for a third time. Her eyes are shining with their usual curiosity, although this time, they are enhanced by a certain...hesitation behind them. An uncertainty that emphasizes her surprisingly (and deceptively) young age.]

There is something I am curious about. As your localized Network System appears to be the best place to make such public inquiries, I have chosen to make mine here as well.

[Somehow, when she preempts with this rather innocent statement, it sounds like she's apologizing for wasting everyone's time. Despite the importance to her, personally.]

I have had several conversations regarding...memories. In particular, those that people are able to access, and those they are not. It has been drawn to my attention that, upon departing from this world, any and all memories of this place are to be deleted from one's memory banks without fail. [She is not okay with this, of course, and yet this is still not the main focus of her post.] It has also been drawn to my attention that there are certain memories in which the majority of organic beings are capable of retaining as well as forgetting.

I was programmed to never forget. And yet...I have been made aware that there are certain events which must have occurred in my life that I cannot remember. I find this both curious and disconcerting. Which is why I must ask:

Is it common for one to possess no memories of the circumstances surrounding one's birth?

More so, I am also curious as to precisely what kinds of memories everyone appears to retain best.



[[PRIVATE MESSAGE - TONY STARK (MCU)]]

[Shortly after her more public message, one in a drastically different change of tone will appear on Tony's screen. For either him or JARVIS to encounter first]

I have completed the designs of the sweaters--[here, a small image of said sweater will appear on his screen for visual]-- you requested for the office. Pending your approval, and a total count of sweaters necessary, I shall proceed to create one for each member of the company.

Comments

[video]

[cantbewalled]

[Is this a robot? He thinks it's a robot. Japan would be freaking out right now if he could see her!] What, you mean like when you first existed?

[video]

[looksfine]

[Yes. It's a robot. Surprise?]

Precisely.

I am well aware that there may be other terms to describe the moment of one's genesis. However, as 'birth' appears to be the one most commonly associated with living beings, I have chosen to use it as a generalized description.

[video]

[cantbewalled]

Me? Of course I remember! I haven't forgotten a single day of my life. I was really cute and eager back then.

[Video]

[tactile_telekinesis]

For a lot of people I think they were just too young too really remember their birth. I think they tend to remember things from maybe a few years old? I'm not sure though. It wasn't exactly that long ago that I was uh...born. But I was implanted with knowledge I shoulda known at my age. No memories. Just...information.

[Video]

[looksfine]

[You know, it's so funny you should mention such a thing, Superboy.]

Interesting. I believe I, too, was created in a similar matter, in that I possess an entire Guardian database's worth of information in my archives.

May I ask how long you have existed? Both chronologically, as well as mentally?

[Video] Necro tag, feel free to ignore thought I'd be back into things sooner.

[tactile_telekinesis]

Huh, guess it just makes it easier to give people information than keeping them a blank slate and be bombarded with questions on life and how to dress or eat.

When I got out I was 15, I guess I'd be about...18 now? Maybe 19. And I'm 4 now.

Video

[ixis]

You look like a mechanical construct; can't you just...jumpdrive the back-up data file banks or whatever it is you do?

[Naugus distrusts technology almost as much as he doesn't understand it. Jargon is said with little to no certainty as to their meaning.]

Why should lost memory even concern you? You are who you are and you have accomplished what you have with what memory you presently retain. That's my take on the matter.

Video

[looksfine]

[As a being created from pure Green Lantern energy, Aya had the capability of automatically translating and understanding any known language in Guardian Space.]

[And she had no idea what he just said.]

Jumpdrive the...back up data file banks?

Video

[ixis]

I don't KNOW! You robotic constructs always drone about files and memory banks as if they are physical containers. Surly recollection lies on simply rummaging around in there for a time? Wait for the right bits or bytes to turn up where you etched this knowledge.

[originalflameon]

[An AI. And one that looks so... synthetic too, maybe she's even a synthezoid.

Jim is trying really, really hard to contain his excitement over this. Luckily the days he spent without feelings of any sort have kind of prepared him for this, so he manages to reply to the post with just a little excited smile.]

It is fairly common. I do not remember being made but I remember the moment my creator woke me. Since then I remember everything from the times I was activated.

[looksfine]

[Aya would know the feeling, if she had any clue as to Jim's current internal thoughts. For so long, she had only encountered carbon-based life forms. The thought of encountering another such as herself...well, until Keelai, she only had the Manhunters. And they were like her only in the most superficial of ways.]

So you do remember your creator. The moment when you came into existence.

May I ask...are you an Artificial Intelligence as well?

Video;

[warrioreidlos]

Well, I'd say most people don't remember being born. I think that is pretty normal. Me, I think the earliest I can remember is when I was... three or four maybe?

[Back when everything was so easy and simple.]

As for what sort of things people remember the best... it always seems like it's the bad memories people retain the easiest.

Video;

[looksfine]

Three or four...what, precisely?

[Years? Months? Hours? There were an infinite number of possible ways to quantify time.]

Why do you believe that is the case?

Private;

[manofiron]

[ This is a horrible looking sweater, which means that it immediately gets the Stark Seal of Approval. Namely, he grins and gives her a thumbs-up. ]

Perfect. Let's go with... Actually, hold on a second.

[ A second turns out to be precisely 92 seconds, as he assembles and transmits to her a file of all the employees of Stark Industries, as well as their general measurements. He isn't spying on anyone, it's just data gathered by JARVIS from his security protocols. ]

There. That should help you out.

[ He's been avoiding the main issue here, but now that he's run out of distractions, he has to ask, expression growing somber. ]

Is that true, what you said about us forgetting everything that happens here when we leave?

Private;

[looksfine]

[It only takes a moment to reroute the information to her own systems, and she nods her acknowledgement to Tony that the next step in her assigned task would be initiated. Within a week's time, there will be sweaters for all.]

I do not know for certain. It appears to be the mutually agreed consensus thus far. However, those I have spoken to are only relaying what they have been told or experienced second-hand.

video

[rakash]

I sure don't remember being born. That's generally how it works, yeah. And all the earliest shit kinda blurs together in places. [Which is about as far as Styx's birth can be considered normal.]

The clearest memories are usually the tense stuff. You fight for your life or something, it's gonna stand out.

video

[looksfine]

You are the second person to imply that it is the most negative of emotions that appear to be retrained the strongest.

Logically, that does not make sense, as one would assume an individual would choose to recall positive events that produced favorable results. To dwell on the negative would run the risk of inadvertently repeated it, with similar results.

video;

[washitaway]

[Booker hasn't really been seen on the network since his last drunken post. But he's gotten a lot better since then, and while he's sort of reluctant to show his face in public now, he's never spoken to Aya before. As... odd... as she looks, what she's talking about draws him in, somewhat inexorably.]

Memories are weird things. Sometimes we forget things we shouldn't, or remember things we wouldn't want to. Mistakes, the bad things that happen, I remember. Good things, little things... I forget.

video;

[looksfine]

[As such, Aya does not immediately recognize the face beyond registering a previous presence on the Network. Nor does she judge the level of intoxication displayed. That was irrelevant to the conversation at hand.]

Why?

video

[reliabletraitor]

[Well, this is a little touchy of a subject. Alvin isn't really sure how he is supposed to answer something like that...not at first anyways. After seeing what everybody else said, he feels like he can actually contribute.]

It's a lot easier to remember the negative stuff because those are the things you look back on when you want to better yourself. That's been my experience anyways. I remember plenty of things I want to remember as well, but those aren't things I want to change.

video

[looksfine]

[Touchy, yes. And very personal. But Aya was well aware of the sensitivity, and her decision to make a public inquiry had not been without great thought. She was not shy, but she was not without Secrets. Some of which, were not entirely hers to share.]

[Fortunately, the majority of responses thus far had not sought further clarification behind her reasons. This latest response--from a face she was not well acquainted with--was no exception.]

I concur that it is necessary to understand events that should not be repeated. [BOY DID SHE UNDERSTAND THAT MUCH] However, it does not appear to be beneficial to organic beings to recall the good memories as well.

There have been many instances during my existence in which I have learned by doing what is right. I would not wish to lose those positive memories, or what I have learned from them, any more than I would the negative experiences.

[pikes]

It isn't common for human infants to remember their moment of birth. Parts of the brain still wouldn't have been fully-grown and wouldn't have been able to retain that kind of information. But it doesn't mean it can't happen.

Of course, I can't say the same for other races. That's something to ask an expert in alien neurology.

[ He's vaguely thinking if she's met Doctor McCoy yet. This is somehow one meeting that he'd just love to see. ]

[looksfine]

Are you acquainted with any such individuals?

[Coincidently, she has made acquaintances with McCoy. Through text.]

[video]

[bludhavenknight]

I'm just repeating what everyone else is saying, I know, but almost everyone doesn't know about their birth. You don't remember it. You start to remember things around the time you are... maybe three? It varies for everyone. [He shrugs.] Personally, the first memory I have is from when I was four.

But you know what, I have heard about losing the memories when you leave this place. What I think is crazier, though, is that when people come back here, they sometimes remember everything about here. And then others don't remember a thing. Apparently I've been here before, but I don't have any memory of it.

[video]

[looksfine]

I assume you are also referring quantitatively to years in your measurement of time as well. However, this potentially does not apply to me, as my records indicate I have only existed for less than half of that time.

[Baby wasn't even two Earth years old, technically speaking. Even if she was mentally (and physically) late teens.]

Are you certain it was you, specifically, who had arrived here?

I have knowledge of both the theory and multiple examples of parallel universes being represented on this plane. [TWO HALS] Is it possible that the previous 'you' who existed merely came from a different world?